Muse
by Glenn and Katina Rentholen
Summary: Kagome has a run in with a life force sucking demon. Mostly from Kagomes POV. Kat COMPLEATE


Muse  
  
KAtina Ashton  
  
wildflowerkitten@hotmail.com  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own them. If I did, I obviously wouldn't be writing fan fiction, would I? ~Kat  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Leanan Sidhe: A solitary seductive spirit whose name in Irish means 'Faerie Mistress'. It is a source of inspiration, and vision to favored mortals. Always Ethereal and enigmatic, it will alter its appearance to become the epitome of beauty for any artist/lover it chooses. It is the Faerie muse of artists from all walks of life, and the artists create their most inspired, and often most beautiful works because of it. But not without a price. It sucks their very life force from them, the mortal disciples burning themselves out, eventually dying from exhaustion, or going mad from 'brain fever'.   
  
It is, without a doubt, the most malevolent of Muse forms.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
There were some days when the fighting for the jewel shards became monotonous. When the hunt for demons, for the last of the jewel became so tedious that Kagome wished she could just give it up and die.  
  
Of course, that was never going to happen. No. she had a responsibility to her friends, and her family, if it came down to it. After all, what would happen to the future, if in the past, demons were permitted to run amok with these jewel shards? Especially Naraku!  
  
  
  
But did she not also have a duty to herself? Her school work, her future high school, and eventually college? Did she not have this duty to herself to eventually have her life in order, so that she could support herself and her family –should she ever have one- as a decent woman would?  
  
She studied hard when she got the change, barely passing the grade when she managed to get back through the well to her own time.   
  
And now, she couldn't think of anything else but studying.  
  
But what was worse, was that she had an English Short story coming up for one of her classes, and she had to write a short story in proper English before the end term tests came up. She had three weeks to manage a ten page short story on whatever subject she chose.  
  
So what do I choose? She thought. I could write about almost anything, but I can't think of a bloody thing! She stared down at her blank notebook paper, her pen in her hand, ready and waiting for inspiration to hit… But nothing 'hit' her. Nothing even came so close as breathing against her mind for something to write about. And now, with her end term tests only two weeks away, and the essay due in one, she was becoming desperate.   
  
She secretly thanked God for letting tonight be anew moon. It meant no running around looking for demons, or jewel shards, or whatnot. And she could finally sit and try to work on this. However, the longer she sat, the less came to her, and so, she pretty much felt out of luck.  
  
Just as she was going to throw her notebook down, she saw something move in the night, only accented by the flames from the fire before her. The group had been unable to find a village near enough to get to before nightfall, and so, had assumed that this place near the river wasn't too bad to spend the night.   
  
Despite Inu-Yasha's protests.  
  
Kagome blinked, and rubbed her eyes, thinking that what she saw had been Inu-Yasha, his human black hair glimmering in the firelight, making him look unreal for just a moment. She shook her head. It couldn't have been him. He's probably asleep by now. She thought.   
  
But, she could sense no evil, so it probably wouldn't hurt to get up and see what it was.  
  
Picking her way around the sleeping bodies of her friends, Kagome found herself out in the woods. If she had used her logic, she would have noticed that Inu-Yasha's was one of the bodies she had stepped over, but right now, she wasn't thinking clearly.  
  
She walked to the river, and looked around. It only took her a moment to find his dark figure against the river. The stars were twinkling brightly. Had it not been for them, Kagome might have thought that he was half glowing against the river.   
  
He turned his eyes to her, and Kagome suddenly felt herself filled with a passion that she had only confessed to herself once. She blushed in the darkness, opening her mouth to ask him why he was out here. He closed the space between them quickly, and looked down at her, his lips parted in a way that she could only describe as erotic.   
  
Then he kissed her.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Wordless all the next day, all Kagome could think about was the night before. He kissed me! She kept thinking over and over again. She touched her lips occasionally to relive the moment.   
  
She felt, though, that Inu-Yasha preferred not talk about it. He gave her a strange look that morning, when he realized that she was staring at him.  
  
She'd tried earlier to bring it up with him.  
  
"Inu-Yasha?" she called meekly from behind him. She knew that the others were unable to hear her, but he'd be able to hear her fine with his dog ears.   
  
He looked back at her, a slightly peeved expression on his face, " Do you need another break?" he demanded coolly.   
  
Kagome shook her head, " Iie, Inu-Yasha.." she blushed, and looked down at the ground where she was walking, " about last night.."  
  
He looked down at her, his brows knitting, " It wasn't that cold, Kagome." He said smartly, " I know that you can't be sick already!"  
  
Kagome blushed in surprise.  
  
So he did want to keep it a secret!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome watched the ground in front of her, her mind wandering here and there as they moved along. Miroku was talking about a village that he knew was nearby. Sango was talking about how she needed her kimono repaired.   
  
Inu-Yasha was silent as he walked. He was carrying her bike again, and Shippo was on Miroku's shoulder.  
  
She looked down at her hand, touched her lip again. Looked back at her hand.  
  
Had he really kissed her? Or had it been a dream?  
  
No. It had been too real to be a dream.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As night fell, the gang reached the village that Miroku was speaking about earlier. Kagome found herself following the Monk to an inn. Inu-Yasha was behind her, well aware that he was being stared at. He felt it necessary to bring up the rear, as it were, so that no one would give Kagome or Sango any problems, where they wouldn't bother with him or the monk.   
  
Shippo, though a demon himself, wasn't really paid much mind, as he was small, and young looking. Not to mention adorable. There were more than one whispers from local women in regards to him, " Kawaii!" they would giggled among one another.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
As the group settled down, there was little said among them. Miroku went to find a place to buy supplies for their trip. Sango went to get her kimono mended.  
  
Shippo and Kirara went with Sango.  
  
Inu-Yasha looked at Kagome, as she dug around in her backpack for her notebook.   
  
"More of that 'homework'?" he asked, his gaze reproachful.  
  
Kagome nodded, " I know that you don't care.. but I have to get it done if I want to get into a decent high school." She didn't look up as she pulled out the notebook. She opened it up to the first page again, where she had been last night. To her surprise, the first page was full of her somewhat stiff English printing.   
  
She stared, her eyes wide, and looked up at Inu-Yasha. "Inu-Yasha.. did you…?" she blushed. No. what was she thinking? He wouldn't know any English!   
  
"Did I what?" he snapped, looking at her from the corner of his eye.   
  
"N- nothing…" she managed weakly, " Gomen ne, Inu-Yasha.." she apologized, and looked down at her own handwriting to see just what she had written.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'He looked down at her, his violet eyes drawing her deeper into his soul. He wrapped his arms around her, and she took in the scent of his being. The man before her smelled warm, like sunlight. Somehow, this didn't surprise her, even though it was pitch black outside under the new moon.'  
  
Whoa! I wrote this? I must have really had one hell of a kiss to not remember writing all this! There's at least two pages here! Kagome thought, reading it through. She shook her head, and smiled weakly. Well then. I guess that means I only have another eight pages to go!  
  
Inu-Yasha stood up suddenly, " I'm going to get some Sake. Can you manage not to get into trouble while I'm gone?" he asked, looking down at her with those golden eyes.   
  
She blushed, and looked up at him, " I'll be alright, Inu-Yasha." She smiled, "Just going to be sitting here doing my homework!" Somehow, she seemed to eager to get back to work on it.   
  
She's acting as though this 'homework' were the best thing since bread! Thought Inu-Yasha, in a confused manner. Usually she made a point to complain about how much she had to do because he never let her go back home. But tonight, she seemed to almost be looking forward to working on it.   
  
I bet the Lech is out getting shit faced. He thought, and sighed. If he told Kagome he was going to keep Miroku out of trouble, she'd probably tell him to stay with her and let Sango handle it. What Kagome didn't seem to understand, however, was that Sango dealt with the monk a lot less gently that Inu-Yasha did.  
  
He left without another word, and Kagome looked down at her homework. The essay she'd written thus far was pretty damn good, and she had to at least give herself credit on that.  
  
Not five minutes after he left, Inu-Yasha came back, and sat down in front of her. He smiled at her, wordlessly. "you are working on that 'homework' still, I assume?" he asked.  
  
Surprised at his polite manner, Kagome nodded blankly. " I have to write a short story in English." She responded, " It's my second language course, so I have to prove that my English is good enough to elaborate a story."  
  
He nodded, " can you read it to me?"  
  
Kagome was surprised, to say the least, once again. She smiled weakly, and thought back to what she had written. With a few tweaks here and there, he need not know that she had most obviously written about him. She nodded, despite herself, and began to read it aloud.   
  
For what seemed like hours, she and Inu-Yasha discussed the plight of the character of whom it seemed the story was about. He seemed to take no notice that it was a romantic story, something that normally Inu-Yasha would blow off without a second thought, or at lest, tease her about.   
  
Kagome's original surprise was stopped, though, when Inu-Yasha urged her to write more. He seemed almost greedy to hear the next part as she wrote it. And so she wrote until she thought she was to tired to go on. And yet.   
  
She wrote more.  
  
Until she was so hungry that her stomach ached.   
  
She wrote more.  
  
Inu-Yasha walked into the small room where Kagome was laying on the floor. She was pale, as though she had not been in the sunlight that day or the day before. However, upon further inspection, she seemed fine. She was simply asleep.  
  
Inu-Yasha looked out the window at the pale sky, with the sliver of moon showing through clouds. He'd been gone for at least four hours, trying to get the monk out of trouble.  
  
Going to buy supplies indeed. Snorted Inu-Yasha.   
  
So Kagome had fallen asleep, her notebook at her side, laying open. He peered at it with a bit of curiosity, though he knew that Kagome would probably kill him if she ever caught him doing such.   
  
The mess on the page was not a language that Inu-Yasha had ever read before, if it was indeed, that. But he understood that Kagome was determined not to fail at 'homework'. So. He let her have her way.  
  
He sat back in the corner of the hut, and rested. His eyes resting on Kagome's gentle form on the other side of the room. She really was lovely, despite her similar looks with Kikyo. He smiled, and shut his eyes, taking a deep breath.   
  
He jerked upright, smelling something wrong.   
  
He could smell a demon. A strong demon. But where was it? And why hadn't he noticed the scent when he first came into the room?  
  
What the hell? He wondered, looking around, and sniffing. The scent was coming from Kagome herself. But.  
  
He sniffed again.  
  
It is Kagome. It's her scent. But why the demon? He scrunched up his nose. Maybe she needed a bath more than he thought was necessary. No wonder she was so particular about them. Though, unlike the other villages she had gone to with him and the others, she had not persisted on one. He wondered why.  
  
Maybe she wasn't feeling well? She hadn't been acting right all day, after all.   
  
"Keh. Better not be getting sick on me." He muttered towards her.  
  
She didn't respond.  
  
  
  
  
  
Two days later, Inu-Yasha suspicions rose again. Kagome suddenly stopped in the middle of their trek. Her eyes glazed over.   
  
She collapsed to the ground without even a word of warning.  
  
Had Inu-Yasha not had the hearing he did, they might not even have noticed she'd fallen. He whipped around just in time to see her head hit the grass.  
  
Shippo shouted in surprise. "Kagome!" he jumped down from Inu-Yasha's shoulder, and raced to the fallen human, he sniffed, and jumped back, " she smells like a demon!" he hissed, looking up at Inu-Yasha.  
  
Inu-Yasha hated to admit it, but he agreed with Shippo. The school girl reeked of demon. He made a face, and picked her up gently. "We need to get her somewhere safe." He said over his shoulder.  
  
Miroku looked at Sango. Sango frowned a bit, and looked back at the monk. "What do you think's wrong with her Inu-Yasha?" she asked, worried over her companion.  
  
Inu-Yasha shook his head, " I'm not sure." He frowned, " but Shippo's right. She reeks of demon."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kaede shook her head, " I'm not sure what's wrong with her, Inu-Yasha." She confessed, after looking over the girl, " She looks like she's just fatigued. Ye should not worry. She'll be alright." The old woman looked up at the red-clad demon, who frowned deeply.   
  
"She reeks of demon, Hag." He glared at her, " something is wrong. Very wrong."  
  
Kaede shook her head again, " Nay, Inu-Yasha. If something were physically wrong, I would have been able to find it, have no doubt about that. " she put her hands together behind her back, " she will be alright with a bit of rest, and some food."   
  
Sango sighed a breath of relief.  
  
Miroku, however, did not. He frowned, knowing that if Inu-Yasha smelled a demon, there probably was one near. It wasn't that Sango didn't believe the dog demon, but hearing Kaede say that Kagome was just fatigued helped her a lot. She really cared about Kagome, much like the others did.  
  
Shippo bounced a bit, and bounded into Kagome's hut. "Kagome!" he looked at her, laying on her futon, asleep. Her face was drawn and quiet.   
  
He frowned, and sniffed the air. She still smelled like demon, as though she had recently been in close contact with one. "Kagome.. will you be ok? " he asked, even though she could not answer in her sleep.   
  
Inu-Yasha came into the hut after Shippo. "Leave her alone, Shippo." He commanded in a gentle tone, " She needs her rest, the hag said."   
  
Shippo glared, " You just want her to yourself!" he protested, in a protective way.   
  
Inu-Yasha bared his teeth at the kit, and glared, " I said, leave her be. The hag said she needs her rest. She can't rest with you bouncing around in here."  
  
Shippo frowned. "Fine." He huffed, and puffed out his chest, " but you'd better be nice to her, Inu-Yasha!"   
  
Inu-Yasha snorted, and ignored the Kit as he left the hut. He sat down next to Kagome, and looked upon her face with a sort of fear in his eyes. Her backpack had been left in a corner of the room. Sticking out from the top of it was a pink notebook. He withdrew it from the backpack, and looked at it, then at Kagome.  
  
She'd not been acting herself lately, and he wondered if it was because of whatever she had written here. He looked down at the strange writing, and squinted. He flipped through the pages. One page after another.   
  
Before he knew it he was through at least 13 pages. The last one stopped abruptly at the top of the page after only two lines. He looked down at her, his brow deep in concern. Had she been spending her nights doing this instead of resting?   
  
This homework thing has gone too far! It's made her sick! He thought, tossing the notebook aside. Kagome, when you wake up, were going to have a long talk about this homework thing. You might think you need a good education for this good life you have planned out for yourself, but it's not worth your health!  
  
She didn't respond to his thoughts. Inu-Yasha sighed, as though he had thought that she would, and leaned back against the wall, his Tetsuigua resting against the crook of his arm.  
  
He took a deep breath, unwilling to go to sleep until she woke up. He was about to get the shock of his life.  
  
Kagome groaned in her sleep, and murmured something. Inu-Yasha's ears twitched to the sound of her voice. He missed whatever it was that she had said. However, she spoke again in a moment, as though reciting something form memory.   
  
"He told her he loved her, even thought he loved another." She said softly. And then sat up. Her eyes opened, as though she had been shocked, and she smiled brightly, " Inu-Yasha.."   
  
He looked at her, and moved. "Kagome? What's wrong? Kagome?" he stared at her as she moved to her backpack to look for something. She frowned. "Did you move my notebook Inu-Yasha? You know I need to finish that essay."  
  
A sudden scent hit Inu-Yasha like a brick. A demon. Oh, but not any demon. It smelled like him!   
  
What in the hells is this!? He wondered in shock, as he moved to Kagome. "Kagome, I moved your notebook to see what was in it." He grabbed her arm, "You need to lay back down. The Hag said that you-" he was cut short.  
  
"Inu-Yasha.. you're so sweet." She smiled genuinely. Her eyes were empty though, all but soul less, " Of course I'll write the rest now."  
  
  
  
  
  
Inu-Yasha smiled at Kagome, and sat with her on the futon.   
  
"How did we get to Kaede's hut, Inu-Yasha?" she asked gently, as she took out her pen, and un capped it.   
  
He looked at her with loving concern, " you fell. We thought you were sick, but it seems that you're alright now. Are you going to write now?"  
  
"Hai, Hai.. Inu-Yasha." Kagome smiled softly, and looked up at him, " what do you think should happen now?"  
  
He smiled at her, " I think that she should live happily ever after."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Inu-Yasha frowned, " I don't know what you're talking about!" he half shouted, "Kagome!" he grabbed her arm, and yanked her around to look at him, " What the hell is wrong with you?"  
  
Kagome blinked, " what are you doing Inu-Yasha? I'm not done yet."  
  
"And you do have to finish don't you?" he asked lustily.   
  
She nodded blushing, "Yes.. I do have to finish.." she responded blankly.   
  
He smiled at her, his perfect teeth only flawed by the sharpened canines. He leaned down over her, his grip against her tightening. One more kiss.  
  
  
  
  
  
Inu-Yasha stared in shock as Kagome became rested against him. Her eyes blinked against him emptily.   
  
"Kagome.. what th-…" he sniffed the air. No. that wasn't his scent he was smelling. Well, not exactly, anyhow. He sniffed again, and frowned. "Demon." He hissed.  
  
There was no response, but at about that moment, he saw a pale figure between himself and Kagome.  
  
It was..   
  
Him?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Inu-Yasha?"   
  
"Yes, Kagome.." he whispered, his lips brushing hers.  
  
"Inu-Yasha, I'm so sleepy." She complained.  
  
"Just a little bit more, and you can rest." He begged softly.   
  
"but."  
  
"Just one more sentence." He persisted.  
  
She nodded, " Alright. And then I can rest?" she whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"And then I can rest?"  
  
Inu-Yasha let go of Kagome, and she sank to the floor, her pen in hand. She pulled her notebook closer to herself.   
  
Inu-Yasha, unable to think of any other method swiped at the figure with his claws.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
He stared in shock, and blanched. He ran out of the hut, to get the others. Inu-Yasha knew that if his hunch was correct that he didn't have a lot of time.   
  
  
  
  
  
'Her heart throbbed gently as she leaned in close to him. She looked up at the dark haired man with tears in her eyes. "You chose me over her." She whispered.   
  
"Yes. I'll always choose you, darling." He replied. With that, he leaned over her, and kissed her softly. And They lived…'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kagome!"   
  
Kagome stopped writing, her eyes barely focused now on anything but the letters in front of her. "Shippo-chan?" she called.   
  
The little Kit bounded up to her, his large blue eyes full of worry, " Kagome.. are you alright?"  
  
She nodded, and looked down at the notebook.  
  
"Just three more words, Kagome." Whispered Inu-Yasha, " and then you can rest." He put his arms around her.  
  
She nodded again, " Happily.." she whispered as she printed the word on paper.   
  
"Ever." Whispered Inu-Yasha, putting his hand over hers.  
  
And then everything stopped.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
When Kagome woke up, it felt as though she had been asleep for a month! She was trembling all over. Felt as though she hadn't bathed in ages. Her mouth was dry, and sticky.  
  
"Ugh." She groaned, and rolled over on her side. She opened her eyes slowly, and the first thing she focused on was her wrist. The pale flesh greeting her with the blue vein that pumped out her pulse.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kagome? Kagome!" she heard Shippo's voice, " you're alright! She's awake guys!"  
  
Inu-Yasha was the first into the hut. He'd reluctantly allowed himself to be removed as Kaede treated the girl after her encounter.   
  
"Kagome.." he looked down at her weakly.   
  
"Inu-Yasha?" Kagome smiled, " Hi."  
  
He smiled back at her. How can she be acting like nothing happened! She almost died! That evil demon would have killed her! Doesn't she even realize this? He ran these questions over in his mind, and then dismissed them, as Kagome sat up shakily, and put her arms up to him like a child.  
  
"did something happen?" she asked softly, when he reluctantly moved into her arms so that she could hug on him.   
  
He jerked and stared at her with wide eyes, " Nani?!" he demanded, " You're not serious!" he asked, taking her by the shoulders, " you almost died!"  
  
Kagome stared at Inu-Yasha as he spewed this nonsense. "What? What are you talking about Inu-Yasha?" she asked.  
  
"Ye almost did die, Kagome." Came Kaede's voice, " Had ye written that last word, we would have never had you back."  
  
Kagome laughed nervously, " What are you talking about?" she asked, " I'm fine!"  
  
Kaede shook her head no, and crouched next to Kagome, offering her a cup of water, "Drink." She urged gently, " You've been asleep for nearly a week." And then she continued, " You encountered a demon known only as Inspiration. And evil being with neither sex or true form. It feeds off peoples inspiration. Eventually, this being, in the form of a persons version of beauty, sucks the life force out of one from this inspiration."  
  
Kagome stopped drinking, and looked at Kaede with wide eyes, " So you're saying.."  
  
Kaede nodded, " this demon latched itself onto you because of your need to finish this.. homework.. It fed off your inspiration. Had you finished what you were writing, from what we could tell, one more word, and it would have had all of your life force."  
  
Kagome's face turned paler than it already was.   
  
It only took a moment to realize that this being had taken on the form of Inu-Yasha to trick her. And it had done such an excellent job that she had never even seen it coming. Her eyes flooded with tears, and she burst out crying.   
  
"I'm so sorry everyone!" she sobbed.   
  
Inu-Yasha, shocked by this sudden display of emotion stared at her, " What? Why are you crying?" he felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, " You should be happy I saw it at the last minute! Be grateful you're alive!"  
  
Kaede excused herself.   
  
Sango and Miroku were outside of the hut. "How is she?" Sango asked, her tone worried. She was holding Kirara with a death grip.   
  
Kaede smiled a little bit, " She'll be alright." She assured gently, " She's speaking with Inu-Yasha right now."  
  
The two nodded, and Miroku comforted Sango the best way he knew how.  
  
Within the hour, Kaede would be treating Miroku for a broken jaw, if he continued.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome latched onto Inu-Yasha, unwilling to let go, " I'm so sorry! I should have known!" she sobbed into his haori.   
  
Staring down at the heaving girl in his grasp, Inu-Yasha patted her uncomfortably, " Um. It's ok Kagome." He assured again, " At least you're alive."  
  
She shook her head no, " no! no.. it's not ok.." she sobbed, " I should have known it wasn't you!" she sobbed even more as the whole thing put itself together in her mind.   
  
Inu-Yasha's eyes widened. Him?   
  
Of course, Baka, She did say you're name when she was going all nutso in her sleep! She thought you were the one who was making her do her homework! The thought didn't help much.   
  
Kagome felt his grip tighten around her, and she looked up. He was looking down at her, his large gold eyes full of pain and.. love?  
  
"It's alright Kagome. You couldn't have known."  
  
Kagome sniffled, and pulled back, wiping her face, " No. No.. I should have known it wasn't you the first night when it.." she froze. Why was she telling him this?  
  
"When it what?" Inu-Yasha felt a knot form in his stomach.  
  
Kagome hung her head, " Kissed me." She whispered.  
  
A feral growl lifted up in Inu-Yasha, his Canine instincts kicking into overdrive. Kagome was his! Not some demon replica of him! He looked down at her, " It's alright Kagome."  
  
Wait you idiot! If she's not obviously, visibly disgusted at the idea of you, even if it was only an image of you, kissing her… Then… he dared not think further.   
  
Instead, he leaned down.  
  
And kissed her.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors note: I made the remark earlier today that my muse was sucking me dry. And here this came. Pathetic at some points, but something I could definitely see happening to Inu-Yasha and Kagome. Oh well. ^_^ ~Kat 


End file.
